Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa - Destination Hotels & Resorts

Enjoyed the gardens.

The hotel was easily accessible and spread out with pathways in gardens that made it a pleasure to walk and feast the eyes.

Children were around and having a grand time.

Amazing for the great price on Expedia

Our room was somewhat smaller than expected, but very nicely furnished with a very comfortable bed. I’ve never stayed in another 4 star hotel that cleaned so thoroughly every day. The pool was huge and wonderfully heated. Close to everything in La Jolla. I can’t believe what a great deal we received on Expedia for our hotel + car, like paying a 3 star price for a 4 star place with a free car.

Traveler's tip on local attractions

Wild Animal Park = Best zoo I’ve ever visited and I’m an animal lover!

Classic,peaceful,relaxing,great pool

Private, quiet,beautiful grounds, elegant atmosphere. Beautiful pool and Spa area.

Traveler's tip on getting the most out of your stay

Need to stay more days to enjoy.

can’t wait to go back

great place ...........relaxing

Traveler's tip on getting the most out of your stay

need pool toys

Fun and comfort

Great hotel on a beautiful property. Very impressed with customer service. I wish parking would be included in the price....$25 per day for valet parking seems a lot. Would go back any day!

Nice, But......................

Grounds and architecture of the buildings are beautiful. Very nice Hotel but I wouldn’t stay here unless I had a deal. Tip. Bring in your own food and booze, but realize the frig is very small. No outside food and drinks allowed in the pool area. Extra money to park in their lot, which I did not do, as I was fortunate enough to find one space next door, so I saved $50.00 for two nights. Again very nice place but seemed to me to be a tad stuffy,$$$$. My next trip to La Jolla will be somewhere closer to the town and the beach which will not entail getting in the car so much.

Absolutely relaxing

The hotel landscaping and courtyards made the hotel, absoultely tropical. Very well kept and clean. We had an issue with the first room they gave us, but they took care of it right away. The only draw back was the $25.00 mandatory for valet parking which is listed in accomidations and and amenities. It would be unfortunate for a family to say not realizing the extra fee until they are they. It would seem appropriate that if expedia continues to have specials on Estancia that the extra charge of $25.00 daily parking fee is exposed not hidden. Other that that is was great!!

If you are going to the San Diego area best deal in town purchase the Go San Diego cards, where you can see numerous sights for a small charge.

Beautiful yet pricey

La Estancia is a great place to stay. They have beautiful gardens throughout the hotel and great rooms. They have a lot of extra fees that are not included in the price/night so beware. There was a daily "resort" fee, a full valet (i.e. you have to use the valet), and a parking fee.

Traveler's tip on recreational activities

Torrey Pine Park

excellent experience

Estancia was a great get-away~~the pool, the Spa and it’s most accomodating service and services, the Wine Bar and the Burros and Mustangs made the stay easy and comfortable.The grounds and the landscaping are gorgeous.

Wonderful gardens

My wife and I were very pleased with the hotel. It’s courtyards and arcades made it feel more like a resort. The accommodations were large and comfortable. We love gardens and the hotel grounds were beautiful and immaculately groomed. We would love to visit again. Two things to know: 1. Valet parking is mandatory and costs $25/day. 2. The hotel’s restaurant serves good, but uninspired meals. And it exceptionally expensive.

Traveler's tip on saving a few bucks

We drove to a local grocery market to stock up on snacks, wine, vodka and sundries. Mixed drinks at the bar were $12 and was too rich for my blood.

Will definitely return

We were pleased the moment we entered the property. The circle drive was enviting and the attendants friendly. The check-in was quick and we were given several room location choices. The walk to our room was delightful as we passed through the beautifully landscaped courtyard. The room was very comfortable and well thought-out. It’s design was simple, but attractive. The hotel’s two restaurants and two bars are popular and the food is quite good. We ate all our breakfasts there and had drinks several times at the outdoor bar. We will definitely return to this hotel when visiting southern California in the future

Traveler's tip

We were surprised to learn that this hotel is 100% Valet Parking. However, it was convenient and the absence of cars and parking lots clearly added to the attractiveness of the property.

Nice hotel - but come prepared

The hotel was very nice, very clean, and just the most beautiful landscaping; however, come prepared for the rest. I read other reviews that "warned" about no parking except by hotel staff (which is $25 per day + tips). Also, avoid room service if at all possible. A small, undercooked pizza with a side salad and a coke cost us $40! Also, nothing is in walking distance and there are no soda machines in the hotel. So, bring a cooler and some of your own snacks and plan to pay about ~100 extra per day just on taxes, fees, and parking.

very nice

The hotel and the grounds were very nice and well maintained. The room was a bit hot but once we opened the door the air seemed to circulate enough to cool down the room. Nice folks. Very peaceful.

Inconsistent

Hotel is very nice and well kept. Service was inconsistent. Valey parking is required. Some valets would open doors, some wouldn’t, but all expected a tip. Room service prices are ridiculous and we found out later the "service charge" is actually a gratuity, after we had been tipping quite a bit extra. One night a woman who didn’t speak English actually opened our door to with a master key to see if we wanted turn down service. Pool was out of towels and we reported it to the spa personnel. No more were brought out while we were still there.

Nice Hotel

THE GOOD: lovely grounds & landscaping; nice pool area; quiet/private location, easily accessible to La Jolla Village and Del Mar but not smack in the middle of a noisy town center; free WiFi THE BAD: lots of hidden fees (daily hotel fee, mandatory valet parking fee, etc.); rooms beginning to show signs of wear; several weddings and conferences being held on the property; inconsistent room service OVERALL: a nice hotel in the 3-4 star category

Modern Southwestern Feel

My wife and I stayed here for Valentine’s weekend, it was great. We actually changed rooms when we got there b/c the first room faced the parking lot, but they were very gracious in helping us change to a view of the courtyard. The room was a bit small, but clean. We also utilized the spa and had a couples massage, which was great! We also had a nice brunch at the restaurant on our last day. Overall a good experience at Estancia.

Traveler's tip on local attractions

This hotel is not far at all (by car) from downtown La Jolla. It is an absolute must if you’re spending the weekend in La Jolla. Great shops, art galleries and restaurants. Take a walk along the path overlooking the ocean, amazing view. Don’t forget to visit the seals.

Don’t go unless you can get a discount!

My teenage daughter and I stayed here last Saturday night, and it was OK. I made the reservation with apprehension, because I read reviews about this place, and they varied wildly. Why I am deducting points/stars for Estancia: I told the girl at the front desk that I would not be parking my car with their valet service but I still got charged for it when I checked out. Also, we ordered room service and the prices in the menu said that a cheese pizza was $12 and a can of coke was $3, but when the guy brought our food up, the price magically changed to over $20.00. There was absolutely no "fine print" anywhere in the hotel’s literature that said I would be charged a "delivery fee". The surroundings are beautiful, which lends to the ambiance of the place, but atmosphere can only count for so much. The heating/cooling system in the room was horrible. We just couldn’t seem to get the temperature right, and we kept getting up during the night to adjust it. Also, the signage around the hotel could be improved. We were in room 359 which is quite a walk from the lobby, and that wasn’t a problem, but the signs kept turning us around in circles. We had a map from the front desk, but it was impossible to understand.

Traveler's tip on saving a few bucks

Park across the street at UCSD because it’s free on the weekends. It’s a really short walk and you’ll save $25.00! Don’t bother to pay the extra $20+ bucks for a veranda room unless you specifically state that you want a room with a NICE view of the garden. I paid for a veranda room which gave us a great view of um, the parking lot. Absolutely not worth the extra cost.

Lots of extra charges and hidden costs

Be aware that in this hotel, the only option to park is valet parking and they charge everyone for such a service and few other services such as internet, Spa and even taking shower after swimming pool! Expect to pay 40-50 dollars per day extra. Rooms are OK, however, some of them like ours were very far from the main entrance, and you have to pass through several long corridors to get to your room. We told the front desk that this is very inconvenient for the families like us with children and a disabled person, but they did not change our room and told us that all our rooms are sold out. The next day we realized that the hotel is actually less than half full!! We also left our telephone charger in the room and 4 hours after we checked out, I called and they wanted me to leave a message for the "lost and found" department. I did two times and I never get any reply back!

Beautiful garden, beautiful room, truly relaxing Hotel/Spa.

My daughter and I enjoyed staying this hotel a lot. I liked the hotel interior and garden very much. Pool was nice, too for us to relax. I wish they could give us the choice of not Valet Parking - it was out of my budget and expensive. $25 per day). The restaurant could have more variety of menu. The setting was beautiful though.

Traveler's tip on getting the most out of your stay

I would love to come back to have a wonderful vacation with my daughter or best friend! I highly recommend this Hotel to everyone.

Scorpion in our Room! Oh My!

We had been here many times for cocktails. So I thought I’d surprise my wife for her birthday by getting us a room. I told her to meet me at the restaraunt. Our room wasn’t ready until 6pm! When we finally did check in, there was a scorpion in the bathroom, which I nearly stepped as I was using it! I wrote the hotel manager a note and never got the courtesy of a reply! I’d call that poor customer service!

Relaxing

The wife and I needed a weekend away from the kids. Estancia delivers!! It’s so quiet, and peaceful. Don’t miss the band outside under the stars. We’ll be back for sure.

Traveler's tip on saving a few bucks

Bring an ice chest with your favorite snacks, and beverages.

Great Service

My stay at Estancia was great. The service was fantastic and all of the employees were friendly. Very pretty hotel with comfortable, clean rooms. My only concern is that there ended up being more surcharges/hostpitality fees than anticipated, which add up in the end (i.e., mandatory valet, etc.) Overall it’s a very nice place.

Impressed

I loved the ambiance of the Estancia. It was beautifully appointed, quiet, and very restful. The staff was kind and considerate. We were in desperate need of a good night’s sleep and the beds were very comfortable and the rooms just the right size with wonderful bathrooms. I would stay here while visiting our son at UCSD every time. We’ve stayed at several other places but have not felt so relaxed as here at Estancia.

A good choice...

Just returned from a weekend at the Estancia. I would go again. Clean, good service, and great outdoor bar! The $25 a day valet with no self parking is bad.. PARK ACROSS STREET. You can park at UCSD free on weekends and $7 per day during the week. Short 3 minute easy walk and very safe. They could improve the overall hotel with a few touches, its the details that matter. I would return.

Traveler's tip on saving a few bucks

park across street at UCSD and avoid the $25 parking fee. Free on weekends and $7 during the week. Also bring your own booze and save.

Nice one night stay

The Estancia was well located and easy to get to from the airport. The hotel staff were very friendly and helpful. The grounds are beautiful and well kept. Our room was average size but the appointments were nice and the bed slept well. We got room service the night we were there and it was good.

Traveler's tip on recreational activities

We did the suggested "running course" in the morning. There is a path to Black’s beach. We did the hike down the mountain to the beach and back up. We were sore for 3 days. It is a big hill.